Marionette toy



April 12, 1938. H. H, HEDGES 2,113,839

MARIONETTE TOY Filed July 16, 1936 Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a marionetteused ln connection with.

puppet shows, and has for its principal object to provide a lightweight, simple and inexpensive '5 marionette construction which isdurable and capable of manipulation in a lifelike manner.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a simplifiedcontrol giving a free range of movements simulating all of the movementsof the person or animal represented by the marlonette; to provide acontrol having separable elements that may be used independently or as aunit; and to provide a joint construction which is capable of flexure inall directions.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a marionette and 20 its controlconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the marionette body, parts ofwhich are broken away to better illustrate the construction.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a marionette and 2 the control therefor embodying theimprovements in the present invention. 'I'he marionette I includes aflexible jointed body 3 including a trunk portion 30 4 having arms 56,legs 1-8 and a head 9. The

trunk portion 4 includes upper and lower blocks I and II preferably ofrectangular shape. The upper block I0 has a fiat upper end I2cooperating with fiat side faces i3 and I4 thereof to 35 form shouldersI5 and I6. The lower block conforms in size to the upper block and hasits lower corners cut away, as at I1 and I8, to form angular attachingportions for the legs 1 and 8.

The upper and lower blocks are preferably connected by a fabric sleeveI9 engaged over the adjacent ends of the respective blocks and securedby fastening devices, such as staples 20. Thefabric sleeveforms aflexible connection at the waist upon which the upper portion of thebody may be caused to bend relatively to the lower portion.

The head 9 is secured to the fiat face I2 of the upper block by screweyes 2| and 22, the eyes 23 55 head is thus mounted so that it can rockback 0 and 24 being interengaged with each other and and forth lorsidewise relatively to the block 4 uny der movement of the controls,later described.

The arms and 6 are formed of tubular fabric strips 28 and 29 havingtheir upper ends secured to. the shoulder portions I5 and I6 of theupper block by staples 30 and 3l, the tines of which are projectedthrough the fabric and into the fiat upper end of the block, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2.

'Ihe upper arms 32 and 33 are formed by cylindrical blocks fixed withinthe tubular strips at a sufficient distance below the shoulders toprovide flexible shoulder connections 34 and 35 for the arms. 'Thecylindrical blocks terminate short of the elbow portions of the arms toprovide similar flexible connections 36 and 31 for the forearms 38 and39 carrying the hands 40 and 4I. The tubular material forming theforearms at the ends of the cylindrical blocks provides flexible jointsfrom which the hands may be rotatedV and on which the elbows andshoulders are constructed to move responsive to movement of thecontrols.

'I'he legs 1 and 8include similar tubular strips 42 and 43 having theirupper ends secured to the angular portions of the lower blocks bysimilar staples 44 and 45. Sleeved Within the lower ends of the tubularstrips and secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as with glue,are pin-like leg members 46 and 41 carrying feet 48 and 49 respectively.Rigidity is imparted to thigh portions of the legs by thigh blocks 50and 5I that are fixed within the tubular strips. The body thus describedmay be clothed in any suitable manner, such as a clown suit 52.

'Ihe control includes a handle bar 53 having a fixed cross bar 54arranged with the ends 55 and 56 thereof projecting laterally from thesides of .the cross bar at points spaced from one end thereof to connectwith reins, such as cords, 51 and 58 secured to the sides of the head bytacks or like fastening devices 59 and 60. Projecting upwardly from theforward end of the bar 53 is a cylindrical pin 6I pivotally mounting aremovable cross bar 62 having an opening 63 to receive the pin. The bar62 substantially conforms in length to the bar 54. Fixed to the outerends of the bar 62 are cords 64 and 65 that have their ends connectedwith the upper ends of the leg pins by tacks or the like 66 and 61,driven through the tubular strips and into the ends of the leg pins 46and 41 as best shown in Fig. 2.

The wrists of the marionette are connected by similar reins 68 and 69with the cross bar 62 at points spaced inwardly from the ends thereof,as best shown at 16 and 1I. The rear end of the handle bar 53 isprovided withja cord 12 that is connected to the back of the lower blockIl to cause movement of the body at the waist con-1 tion of the naturalmovement of a body so as to impart lifelike actions, thereby increasinginterest and attractiveness of a puppet show. A marionette constructedwith the tubular fabric joints as described may, by manipulation of thecontrols, allow for any desired movement to best bring out the gesturesfor the character that the marionette is supposed to represent. Certainmovement of the hands and body may best be effected by removing thecross bar 62 from the pin 6I so that it may be manipulated independentlyand separably from the main handle bar 5I. The cross bar 62 may also beoscillated on the pin to give effects not possible with the fixed typeof cross bar.

It is obvious that a marionette constructed and assembled as describedmay be manufactured at relatively small cost and is substantiallyindestructible.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a toy of the character described, a body including upper and lowerblocks, a tubular fabric sleeve having its ends engaged over saidblocks, means securing the ends of the sleeve to the blocks, arm and legmembers connected with the respective blocks including tubular fabricstrips,

hand and foot membershavingrshank portions 3. In a toy of the characterdescribed, a body described, a bodyportionsof said sleeves'.A y

4. A control 'for a marionette including a main 5 bar, a-pivot pin onthe main ba'r, a transverse bar pivotally andremovably mountedon saidpin.

and a fixed transverse bar on the main bar.

5. In a marionette toy, albody, flexible cloth'` members having one endfixed to.s`ald lbod`y,-hand and foot members connected to theoppositeends of said cloth members, andblocks'connected to said cloth members toimpart rigidity to selected portions of said members and'having endsspaced from the body and the respective hand and foot members to provideflexible joints at the ends of said blocks.

6. A marionette including a body, limb members comprising exible clothstrips connected with said body, rigid terminal members connected withsaid strips, and blocks connected with the strips intermediate the bodyand terminal members to impart rigidity to selected portions of vthelimb members and having ends spaced from the body and terminal membersto provide freely fiexing joints whereby said joints impart a life-likemovement to said limbs incidental to manipulation of the marionette.

7. In a marionette toy, a body including upper and lower blocks, a clothmember having its ends 30 connected with said blocks to form a waistjoint, forearm and leg members, cloth members connecting the forearmsand the leg members respectively with the upper and lower blocks. andblocks fixed to said last named cloth members to impart rigidity toselected portions of said cloth members and having ends respectively4spaced from said body blocks and from the respective forearm and leg.members to provide flexible joints. 1 i

Y. HAZELLE H. I-AIEDGES.

